Among the many weekly publications of note may be cited La Riqueza and La Vida y Verdad; La Semana Mercantil, which is the organ of the Society known as "Orden y Prosperidad"; El Franciscano, a Catholic paper conducted by a Franciscan Brother; Repertorio del Diario del Salvador, a well-illustrated review of literary, commercial, and social matters, and edited by a gentleman bearing the very English name of Samuel C. Dawson. This publication is, as its title may suggest, closely allied with the great daily paper El Diario del Salvador. Other publications are—La Razón Católica, a monthly Church organ; El Comercio del Salvador, also a monthly illustrated dealing with politics, sociology, and a variety of other subjects; En Serio y en Broma, a humorous monthly review; as well as a large number of technical prints, weekly and monthly, such as—Anales del Museo Nacional, Archivos del Hospital Rosales, Vida Intelectual, Revista Judicial, Boletín de Agricultura, Revista Cientifico-Militar, Libro Rosado do El Salvador, Boletín Municipal, Boletín del Consejo Superior de Salubridad, La Voz del Obréro, Boletín Masónico, La Buena Prensa, La Luciérnaga, and Juan de Arco.
Each of the Departments has likewise one or more daily or weekly papers, many carrying great influence among the better-class Salvadoreans, who are both diligent readers and intelligent critics. In Santa Ana there are El Demócrata, which was founded in 1900, and a weekly known as El Santaneco. In Chalchuapa there are two weeklies, La Vanguardia and El Patriota; in Achuachapán there is one weekly, La Nueva Era; in Sonsonate, La Prensa, also a weekly; in Santa Tecla, Don Bosco, a weekly which is the organ of the Instituto Salesiano; in Cojutepeque there are two periodicals, one weekly and one monthly, respectively known as El Imparcial and El Cuscatleco; in Suchitoto, a monthly review, La Mujer (The Woman), holds the field; in Santiago de Maria, El Anunciador; and in San Miguel, El Eco de Oriente. A fair share of local advertising is accorded to all of these publications, but, of a necessity, in the majority of cases the circulation is small.
There was recently formed a Central American Press Association, composed of the representatives of the principal newspapers published in the five Republics of Salvador, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Honduras. Already the news published in each State concerning the sister-Republics is full; but the new association, working by means of a mutual exchange of information fit for publication, will result in a considerably improved service being maintained. The papers which have taken the initiative in this important Association are—Diario del Salvador (El Salvador), Diario de Centro América (Guatemala), Diario de Nicaragua (Nicaragua), and La República (Costa Rica). Towards the end of this year (1911) a Conference of Press Representatives is to be held in San Salvador, which is expected to be attended with considerable success, and even far-reaching consequences.
CHAPTER XIV
Mining—Ancient workings—Precious metals found—Copper deposits—Iron ores—Treatment of ores in England—Difficulties of transport—Some deceased authorities—Mines in operation—Butters' Salvador mines—History of undertaking—Large profits earned—Directorial policy—Machinery and equipment—Butters' Divisadero Mines—Butters' cyaniding plant.
Tradition points to the fact that the whole of the Central American States were more or less mineralized, while some of them, such as Honduras and Salvador, have long been known to contain great mineral wealth. The geological conditions of Salvador, as may be inferred from the physical facts which have already been set forth in these pages, show that precious metals have been found in some of the Departments. There are on record considerable operations in connection with the different Salvador mines of Tabanco, Sociedad, and others in their immediate vicinity and lying in the north-eastern part of the Department of San Miguel, on the confines of Honduras.
These mines have been extensively worked, and have in their time yielded very profitable results. About six miles distant from Tabanco are the goldmines of Capitalis, once believed to be of great richness, and the group of silver-mines known under the name of Minas de Tabanco, and where is found silver in common with galena and sulphurate of zinc. In times past these mines have been worked with very little difficulty, and they have yielded from as little as 47 to as much as 2,537 ounces to the ton. The most famous producer among these was the Santa Rosalía, and a great part of these ores were formerly shipped direct to England. Old archives of this concern show that in the year 1830 an attempt was made to work the mines on a large scale by an English company, which sent out a whole corps of Cornish miners for the purpose. The machinery which was despatched at the same time was so heavy, however, that it was found impossible to transport it from the coast, which difficulty, combined with others, entirely broke up the enterprise. Had the organizers of the company, as a preliminary, constructed a good cart-road, which was quite possible, and had then sent out the machinery in parts, which could have been packed separately on mule-back, as is done in Colombia and other mountainous countries, the undertaking might never have been a failure.
That mining paid, and paid well, in Salvador in olden days is proved by the record which has been left by Mr. R. C. Dunlop, in his "Travels in Central America." This writer tells us that "five leagues north of San Miguel are a number of mines of silver; among them is one called La Carolina, which was worked by a Spanish empresario about thirty years ago [Dunlop's book was published in 1847]. He invested his own property, borrowed $100,000 and, after getting his mine into order in less than six months, was able to pay his obligations; and although he died before the end of the year, he left $70,000 in gold and silver, the produce of the mine. After his death the ownership was disputed, the works fell into ruins, and the mine became filled with water. The mines of Tabanco yield more silver than those in its vicinity, and when worked yielded upwards of $1,000,000 annually, although operated in a rude manner without machinery. The principal one yielded $200,000 annually to the proprietors."